5 Sci-Fi Movie Flops That Actually Got Sequels, And 2 Were Even Better Than the Original

Sci-fi is a genre that can be prone to its fair share of box office flops. Even great sci-fi movies can bomb at theaters for a few select reasons. For starters, it’s not always easy to get a high concept to appeal to the masses, which can drive away general audience members. There’s also the fact that sci-fi flicks sometimes require fantastical and expansive worlds, which can lead to a high budget that makes it easier for a film to flop. It doesn’t mean the film is bad, as some of the greatest sci-fi movies ever struggled commercially.

The Abyss, Starship Troopers, Children of Men, Annihilation, and The Thing are just some examples of great sci-fi movies that flopped at the box office. More often than not, when something like that happens, any potential thoughts about a sequel or franchise are killed. However, there are some exceptions to that rule. A few sci-fi films have failed financially, yet somehow still got sequels greenlit in the future. Some went straight to home video and some arrived years later, yet they all surprised us by getting any kind of sequel. In a couple of cases, these sequels actually improved on what came before them.

5) Highlander

Highlander is one of those films that’s actually synonymous with the sci-fi genre, especially when it comes to ’80s movies. The 1986 film blends sci-fi with fantasy and follows an immortal Scottish warrior who ultimately comes face-to-face with his greatest rival in modern New York City. Reviews for Highlander weren’t great at first, but over time, critics have been pretty positive about it, praising how cheesy and bombastic it is.

Highlander ended up failing financially, grossing a mere $12 million on a budget of $19 million. That is almost always grounds for no sequel to be greenlit. However, the movie became more of a hit after it arrived on home video. The cult following spawned a sequel, Highlander II: The Quickening, which was poorly received and struggled even more at the box office. Still, several more sequels, TV shows, novels, comics, and web series continued the legacy of this unexpectedly successful franchise.

4) The Chronicles of Riddick

Before he was the star of The Fast and the Furious, Vin Diesel appeared in another movie that sparked a surprising franchise in 2000’s Pitch Black. The film was a modest box office success and, coupled with Diesel’s rising star power, had a sequel greenlit with 2004’s The Chronicles of Riddick. This put much more of a focus on Diesel’s character (Riddick) and the budget was about $100 million higher than its predecessor. That spelled doom for the film, which only grossed back $115 million.

Reviews were also disappointing, so by all rights, it looked like the franchise was finished. Diesel was passionate about the character though, and finally found someone to fund another one. 2013 marked the arrival of Riddick, which ended up reigniting the series and it was better than The Chronicles of Riddick. It had a much lower budget, so its intake of around $98 million was a success. There is even now a fourth installment reportedly in development. When you add in the comics, short films, and more, this is another strong franchise despite its box office struggles.

3) RoboCop 2

The original RoboCop is a legitimate classic in the sci-fi action subgenre. The 1987 film gave us great action but was also a tremendous bit of social satire. It was praised for its themes of humanity, corruption, greed, and more, which set it apart from other movies in the genre. It’s still held up as a fantastic film, so a 1990 sequel made sense, but RoboCop 2 proved to be a misfire. It grossed just $47 million on a budget of $30 million and was met with lackluster reviews.

RoboCop 2 was mostly a lot of the same in terms of action, effects, and its main story, yet it lacked the cleverness that allowed the original to stand out. Not having Paul Verhoeven was clearly a problem and the movie flopped. Surprisingly, RoboCop 3 was still released in 1993, without Verhoeven and without star Peter Weller. It was actually more financially successful, yet received even worse reviews and put the franchise on the shelf for a long time.

2) Tron

Like The Chronicles of Riddick, Tron is a sci-fi flop that surprisingly got a sequel that ended up being a superior project. For starters, 1982’s Tron looked like something straight out of the future and featured a fun concept that somehow didn’t grab audiences. It brought in $50 million, which was decent given the budget, yet it was also a major disappointment. It felt like it was a bit ahead of its time, as the concept likely would’ve performed better in the ’90s or 2000s.

The film found more success on home video and was part of Disney theme park attractions for years, which led to the release of Tron: Legacy in 2010. Visually incredible and released in a better era, this was an improvement over its predecessor and grossed over $400 million. Tron: Legacy also went on to gain a cult following that led to another sequel in 2025, Tron: Ares, though that one bombed harder than any other entry.

1) Blade Runner

When it comes to the greatest sci-fi movies in history, Blade Runner sits near the top of the list. The 1982 film from Ridley Scott is adapted from a Philip K. Dick novel and was met with great reviews. With strong reception and the iconic Harrison Ford as the lead actor, it should’ve been a box office smash. Unfortunately, it only grossed around $41 million on a budget of $30 million, making it a commercial failure.

Of course, Blade Runner earned its legacy over the past few decades, growing in popularity and seeing several re-releases. That helped it get a 2017 sequel greenlit, Blade Runner 2049. Ford came back alongside Ryan Gosling, and again, the movie was met with widespread acclaim. Still, it only brought in around $277 million on a $185 million budget, making it another flop. That means that instead of more sequels, we’ve gotten TV shows. No matter what kind of follow-ups we get, more in the Blade Runner franchise is always welcome.

Which of these unexpected sequels is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.

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